Ep 43 Kevin Leahy on winning the Yukon Arctic Ultra, and judging a race without your watch
· Trail Running Ireland Podcast
Killarney's Kevin Leahy explains how he won the 300-mile Yukon Arctic Ultra, dragging a 25 to 30 kg sled through deep snow on about 10 hours' sleep in nearly six days, just weeks before heading to a 500 km race in Lapland. First, René Borg gives his early verdict on carbon-plated trail shoes and looks at how to judge a race beyond the time on your watch.
Eoin opens with a message of solidarity for Ukrainian runners and their families, and rounds up recent IMRA results.
René reports more power on smooth fire-road climbs and less muscle soreness in a carbon-plated trail shoe, but a mild ankle sprain on a technical descent: the high heel makes it risky on rough ground. Eoin found carbon spikes helped on the firm, flat finish of a cross-country race. On reviewing races, René compares the beginner's pure sense of adventure with the competitor's focus on times and rivals. He explains IMRA's percentage-of-winner's-time metric and says your result should be judged against the training you actually did. He also describes pacing a climb with a power target on his watch. Eoin's tip: never settle. He recalls easing off beside two teammates near the finish of a European Championships and losing places in the sprint.